The human auditory system has been increasingly stressed to tolerate high noise and sound levels. However, excessive high level exposure over long durations can damage hearing. Moreover, a user's attention to sounds within the environment can be compromised when media devices such as music players, cell phones, and Bluetooth™ earpieces deliver audio to the ear.
In industrial environments where noise is frequently present, workers can be subject to loud excessive noises over long periods of time in addition to the sounds presented by the media devices. Although earplugs help suppress the noise and mitigate the physiological and psychological effects of the noise on the workers, there are few accurate indications of the noise exposure to which the workers are subjected.
A need therefore can be appreciated for assessing sound exposure levels in various environmental settings.